Parking garage rates at Daytona Beach Ocean Walk to increase May 1

DAYTONA BEACH -- Parking at the Ocean Center garage are going up as of May 1 to help offset the cost of county government.

Here is the new fee schedule:

* An hour of parking will double to $2, two hours will climb from $3 to $4 and three hours will go up from $5 to $6. Any time after that in a 24-hour period is $8.

* The first 30 minutes remains $1.

* Monthly parking climbs from $30 to $45.

The rates are the first in three years, expected to bring in an additional $116,000 by Sept. 30 and $279,000 annually. Annual fees have raised $2 million, but the garage had a deficit at the end o 2008 and last year's profits barely exceeded $90,000.

The rates were approved by the County Council earlier this month.

About the Blogger

Henry Frederick is publisher of Headline Surfer®, the award-winning 24/7 internet newspaper serving the Daytona Beach-Orlando metro area via HeadlineSurfer.com, launched in 2008, as Florida's first around-the-clock online newspaper. Frederick is among the Sunshine State's most experienced reporters with scores of regional, state & national journalism-industry awards for nearly 100 breaking news & investigative reporting stories in Florida, New York, Massachusetts & Connecticut. The first of Frederick's three books, "Creepy Ass Cracker" (842 pages, Xlibris), hits bookstores in July. The second book, "Wrestling ReWind is scheduled for publication in October. The third book, "The Day NASCAR Died: 15th Anniversary of Dale Earnhardt's death in the Daytona 500," is planned for publication in February 2016.View his blog archives here